Annual Meeting - Vision For the Future: Comments
Beck Center for the Arts presents an Art Exhibition by
Jenna Fournier & Lauren Voiers
Now through August 24, 2008
The Beck Center for the Arts presents a dynamic art exhibition featuring the works of two talented young artists, Jenna Fournier and Lauren Voiers. Their vibrant paintings will be on display in the Jean Bulicek Galleria now through August 24. Inspired by different artistic influences, most notably the styles of Pablo Picasso and Franz Marc, these young artists have created their own unique collections of paintings.
This exhibition is free and open to the public. Gallery hours are 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, noon to 8:00 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 5:00 p.m. Sunday. The Beck Center for the Arts is located at 17801 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood, just ten minutes west of downtown Cleveland. Convenient free on-site parking is available. For more information call (216) 521-2540 or log on to www.beckcenter.org.
The Beck Center for the Arts is a nonprofit, comprehensive arts organization offering professional theater productions on two stages, arts education classes in dance, music, theater, visual arts, creative arts therapies for special needs students, and early childhood programs; as well as art exhibits featuring local and regional artists.
About the Artists
Born outside Los Angeles, Jenna Fournier has been actively involved in the world of contemporary art for several years, first selling her work informally on the Las Vegas strip. Jenna moved to the Cleveland area in 2005 to be closer to her family. Since then, she has entered her work into various art competitions, including this past year’s Sparks Show in Cleveland where she earned Best in Show. In addition, to painting, Jenna is also a songwriter and performer, focusing in the sub-genre of acoustic indie-rock.Lauren Voiers, a senior at Westlake High School, has already been recognized at the regional, state and national levels, winning numerous awards for her highly original work. Painting since the age of 13, Lauren has already had pieces shown across the country, including her painting “Transparency”, which was displayed at the Reeves Contemporary Gallery of Art in New York City after winning the National Gold Key Award, the highest distinction awarded at the annual Scholastic Art Show. In 2006, her painting, entitled “Sisters”, was recognized as a finalist at the Ohio Governor’s Youth Art Competition and was exhibited at the State building in Columbus. Lauren has also had eight paintings recognized at the Scholastic Art Show, earning a Gold Key, a Silver Key and an Honorable Mention for her entries in 2008
Beck Center for the Arts Gets a Face Lift
Many changes, from those easily recognized to those less apparent, are occurring around the Beck Center for the Arts campus.
You may have noticed while traveling down Detroit Avenue that the landscape has changed. Beautiful trees, shrubs and rose bushes now line the Beck Center’s entrance drive. This was the big project early last month as Matthew Carlson, a “Life” scout with Troop 435 of the Lakewood LDS Church chose the Beck Center for his Eagle Scout project. Matt worked tirelessly with 30 other members from his troop, along with additional volunteers and Beck staff as the rainy morning turned into blue skies and sunshine. They worked for hours digging out the old and planting the new. “Our goal was to create an inviting and relaxing green space,” says Cindy Einhouse, Beck Center’s President and CEO. “The landscaping has been a major improvement to the curb appeal of our property for, not only Beck Center patrons and students, but the community as well. We are grateful to Matt and his Troop for their hard work.”
This fall Matt will be in the 8th grade at Garfield Middle School. He has been in Scouts since the first grade and has achieved the Arrow of Light Award and many other scouting honors. Matt is currently working on his Eagle rank and serves as the Den Chief for Pack 115 of the Lakewood Presbyterian Church.
 Facelift for Beck Center - Beck Center staff and volunteers from Boy Scout Troop 435 in Lakewood spruce up the Beck Center for the Arts landscape. |
 Working Side by Side - Matthew Carlson, Boy Scout project organizer, and Cindy Einhouse, Beck Center President and CEO, work side by side planting new shrubs to improve the Beck Center for the Arts landscape. |
 Boy Scouts Dig In - Members of Boy Scout Troop 435 in Lakewood plant new shrubs at the Beck Center for the Arts. |
 Taking a Break - Two volunteers rest in the shade in between plantings at the Beck Center for the Arts. |
In addition to the landscaping project, the Beck Center continues its dedication to preserving its cultural legacy. Residents may have noticed the recent return of Beck Center’s David Davis sculpture after significant restoration was completed by McKay Lodge Fine Arts Conservation Laboratory, Inc. This sculpture, commissioned by renowned architect Fred Toguchi in 1976, had seriously deteriorated over the past 30+ years. Restoration was entirely paid for by restricted gifts from some sculpture-loving friends and is estimated to last at least another 30 years.
For more information on this and other upcoming Beck Center projects contact Yvette Hanzel at 216.521.2540 ext. 22.
Got Guilt?
Confess thy sins to the
Altar Boyz
Coming July 18th to the Beck Center!
Beck Center for the Arts presents the rockin’, rafter-raising, soul-saving spoof, Altar Boyz on the Mackey Main Stage, July 18 through August 17. Winner of the 2005 Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway Musical, Altar Boyz is a fast-paced, booty-swinging musical comedy about a fictitious Christian boy-band performing the last concert of their “Raise the Praise” tour. Join heavenly heartthrobs – Matthew, Mark, Luke, Juan, and Abraham as they dance and sing their hearts out to save the souls of the sinful.
Show times for Altar Boyz are 8:00 pm Fridays and Saturdays and 3:00 pm Sundays. To request tickets, contact the Beck Center box office at (216) 521-2540 or request seats here. Beck Center is located at 17801 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood, just 10 minutes west of downtown Cleveland. Free, convenient on-site parking is available.
Based on the book by Kevin Del Aguila with music and lyrics by Gary Adler and Michael Patrick Walker, Altar Boyz was nominated for numerous 2005 Drama Desk Awards including Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Choreography, Outstanding Music, Outstanding Lyrics, and Outstanding Book of a Musical.
Directed by Beck Artistic Director Scott Spence and choreographed by Verb
Ballets’ Hernando Cortez, Altar Boyz stars Josh Noble as Matthew
(the leader of the band), John Riddle as Mark (the sensitive one), Dan Grgic
as Luke (the bad boy), Ryan Jagru as Juan (the Latin lover), Connor O’Brien
as Abraham (the gefilte fish out of water); and the voice of Emmy Award-winning
NBC news correspondent, Martin Savidge as the Announcer and Voice of G.O.D.
Savidge is an alumnus of Beck’s Theater Education program.
“As Beck Center has consistently done this season, we are thrilled to bring Northeast Ohio yet another regional premiere – and this one is pretty amazing.” exclaimed director Spence. “After nearly four seasons, Altar Boyz is STILL playing Off-Broadway to packed houses nightly. It is a fiercely energetic musical with five amazing performers.” He further remarked, “It's the prefect blend of comedy and music, practically defining what the public is looking for on a hot summer night. This could be the breakout hit of the summer!”
Ticket prices for Altar Boyz are $28 for adults, $25 for seniors and $17 for students (22 and under with I.D.). Group discounts are available for parties of 13 or more. Rush tickets for students (22 and under with I.D.) are offered for $10 each on Sundays only, 30 minutes prior to curtain, based on availability.
The Beck Center’s production of Altar Boyz is sponsored by WNWV 107.3 The Wave, Cox Communications, Mix 106.5 - WMVX and Lakewoodbuzz.com. Programming at the Beck Center is made possible through the generous support of the Ohio Arts Council, The Cleveland Foundation, The George Gund Foundation, The John P. Murphy Foundation, The Kulas Foundation, The Eva L. & Joseph M. Bruening Foundation, The Abington Foundation, and the Thomas H. White Foundation. Beck Center gratefully acknowledges the citizens of Cuyahoga County for their support through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.
Who's Who in the Altar Boyz Company
Beck Center for the
Arts
Proudly Presents its 2008/09 Professional Theater Season
Some things old, some things new, some things Sci-Fi AND
inventors of 'The Tube'
Beck Center for the Arts announces its 2008/09 season featuring the much anticipated return of some 'oldies but goodies,' an electrifying new drama, plenty of scandalous entertainment, and the Mother of Blues.
"I feel like we've hit the mark yet again!" says Scott Spence, Beck Center's Artistic Director, referring to the eclectic mix Beck has become known for. "Beck continues its tradition of providing Northeast Ohio audiences with a great balance of titles they know, and area premieres…all directed by some of the area's most respected directors."
The season opens with the much anticipated encore production of Tony Award winner, Urinetown The Musical, featuring the return of the original Beck cast that made the show the area's must-see production three seasons ago! Also returning are Cleveland legends Dorothy and Reuben Silver in Talking Heads 2, Alan Bennett's (The History Boys) sequel to his acclaimed BBC monologue series. Then, with fond memories of Beck's beloved production of Beauty & the Beast…Peter Pan, the story of the boy who didn't want to grow up is Beck's next amazing musical adventure for the holidays!
The season continues with two powerful pieces, Chicago blues legend Ma Rainey sets out to record her latest album in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, by Pulitzer prize-winning American playwright, August Wilson and compelling answers come to life as two ambitious television visionaries race against each other in The Farnsworth Invention. Also, premiere musical theater director, Victoria Bussert serves up the NYC Off-Broadway hit and indie favorite Grey Gardens, a musical telling the tale of the reclusive and fascinating Bouvier sisters, adding another wild chapter to the Kennedy legacy.
Closing the season, Beck Center promises a summer of larger than life - or death - entertainment with cult smash Evil Dead: The Musical and cult-gone-mainstream Little Shop of Horrors.
Theater subscriptions for the 2008/09 season are now available. For more information, contact Linda Hefner at the Beck Center Box Office at (216) 521-2540, ext. 29. Individual tickets sales begin August 1, 2008. Convenient free on-site parking is available. The Beck Center for the Arts is located just 10 minutes west of downtown Cleveland at 17801 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood.
Urinetown The Musical___________________________
Musical by Mark Hollman and Greg Kotis
Directed by Scott Spence
September 12 - October 12, 2008
Mackey Main Stage
2002 Tony Award winner for Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical
Consider it a privilege…If you lived in Urinetown you'd have to pay to pee!
A wild and happy mix of biting satire and loving parody, Urinetown The Musical transports audiences to a Gotham-like city where ecological disaster has made the simplest human necessity, water, more precious than gold. Attempting to regulate its consumption, the government has imposed a bizarre law - the use of private restrooms is banned and an omnipotent corporation, the Urine Good Company, is charging citizens money to use the toilet! Beck's original cast reunites!
Talking Heads 2_________________________________
Written by Alan Bennett
Directed by Reuben Silver and Tracee Patterson, Featuring Dorothy Silver
November 7 - December 7, 2008
Studio Theater
From the author of The History Boys comes a second round of monologues created for BBC television. Bennett's magnificent style conveys British life like no other, providing actors with mini tour-de-forces. The first couple of Cleveland theater, again team up to present new pieces in this compelling night of intimate theater.
Peter Pan_____________________________________
Based on J.M. Barrie's tale
Music by Mark Charlap and Jule Styne
Lyrics by Carolyn Leigh, Betty Comden and Adolph Green
Directed by Fred Sternfeld
December 5, 2008 - January 4, 2009
Mackey Main Stage
This high flying musical story of Peter Pan, Wendy, John, and Michael and their adventures in Neverland is brought to life on Beck Center's Main Stage for the holidays. Audiences of all ages will love this timeless story filled with pirates, fairies, death-defying feats of flying, and the dastardly Captain Hook. An exhilarating journey through Neverland for the whole family!
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom_________________________
By Pulitzer prize-winning American playwright, August Wilson
Directed by Sarah May
January 30 - February 22, 2009
Mackey Main Stage
Gertrude Malissa Nix Pridgett Rainey, better known as Chicago blues legend Ma Rainey sets out to record her latest album in the only one of Wilson's 10 plays set outside Pittsburgh. The play is set in Chicago in the 1920s and deals with issues of race, art, religion, and the historic exploitation of black recording artists by white producers. Generational and racial tensions escalate among Ma Rainey's band and producers, as the studio explodes in violence and tragedy. Beck honors this year's passing of August Wilson and the 25th anniversary of the Broadway production!
GreyGardens_______________________________________
Book by Doug Wright
Music by Scott Frankel
Lyrics by Michael Korie
Directed by Victoria Bussert
February 27 - March 29, 2009
Studio Theater
2007 three-time Tony Award winner
Scandalously entertaining, Grey Gardens brings to life the alternately hilarious and heartbreaking story of two indomitable women, Edith Bouvier Beale and her adult daughter 'Little' Edie - the delightfully eccentric aunt and cousin of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, in Broadway's acclaimed musical smash hit with music composed by Cleveland native, Scott Frankel. Once among the brightest names in the pre-Camelot social register, these two women became East Hampton's most notorious recluses and Jackie O's most scandalous relatives.
The Farnsworth Invention_________________________
A new play by Aaron Sorkin
Directed by Scott Spence
March 13 - April 12, 2009
Mackey Main Stage
The turning point of the 20th Century wasn't ON television, it WAS television!
Separated by two thousand miles, two ambitious visionaries race against each other to invent and promote a device that would one day be called the "television." Each knowing that if he stops working the other will gain the edge. Who will unlock the key to the greatest invention of the 20th century: the ruthless media mogul or the self-taught Idaho farm boy? The answer comes to compelling life in this new play from Aaron Sorkin, creator of The West Wing.
Evil Dead: The Musical____________________________
Based on Sam Raimi's 1980s cult classic films
Book and Lyrics by George Reinblatt
Music by Frank Cipolla, Christopher Bond, Melissa Morris, and George Reinblatt
Directed by Scott Spence
May 8 - June 14, 2009
Studio Theater
What can go wrong when five college students break into an abandoned cabin in the woods? Apparently a whole heck of a lot! They unleash evil spirits, turn into demons… and sing show tunes! Sam Raimi's cult classic 1980s films are brought to life in this hilarious, campy show that will make you crave "live theater" again. With songs such as "All the Men in my Life keep getting Killed by Candarian Demons" and "Do The Necromonicon" - Evil Dead is bursting with more farce than a Monty Python skit!
Little Shop of Horrors____________________________
Written by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman
Directed by William Roudebush
June 26 - August 2, 2009
Mackey Main Stage
It's everyone's favorite boy-meets-girl, plant-eats-world phenomenon.
From the producers of Hairspray and The Producers, and the
songwriters of Disney's Beauty and the Beast, comes the biggest MONSTER
hit! This musical comedy masterpiece is about a nobody- kinda guy, the
girl he loves, and the man-eating plant that changes their lives forever.
Look out! Here Comes Audrey Two!!!
Programming at the Beck Center is made possible through the generous support
of The Cleveland Foundation, The George Gund Foundation, The John P. Murphy
Foundation, The Kulas Foundation, The Eva L. & Joseph M. Bruening Foundation,
The Abington Foundation, and the Thomas H. White Foundation. Beck Center
gratefully acknowledges the citizens of Cuyahoga County for their support
through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.
Beck Center for the Arts Announces its Vision for the Future
At Annual Meeting
Monday, October 29, 2007 at 7:00 p.m.
See summary
In October 2006, during its 75th anniversary year, Beck Center made a commitment to remain in Lakewood. Now, one year later, the Beck Center will embark on a very important project aimed at sustainability and growth for the next 75 years. Details will be revealed at its Annual Meeting on October 29, 2007.
After the Board's decision to remain in Lakewood, and the completion of a strategic plan, a design committee consisting of Beck Board members, outside experts and design and architect consultants was organized to take an in-depth look at the Beck Center’s physical plant and current programming. Several brainstorming sessions were held and ideas and concepts were developed.
These concepts will be shared with community members at the Beck Center's Annual Meeting on Monday, October 29, 2007 from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. on the Mackey Main Stage. The ultimate goals for redevelopment of the property now inhabited by Beck Center are economic growth enhancement, infrastructure improvement, historic preservation, and neighborhood enhancement. Essentially, the Beck Center strives to be a cornerstone and anchor for Lakewood's Theater and Entertainment District.
"Our goal is to sustain Beck Center as a vital community resource," said Lucinda Einhouse, President and CEO. "We look forward to dynamic feedback from the public about our ideas and concepts. We would like to explore all of the issues that are critical to our patrons, our students and the neighborhood in which we reside."
Not only is the Beck Center one of the largest employers in Lakewood, but a recent study found the organization has an economic impact of $10 million every year in Northeast Ohio. Its partnership with the Lakewood City School District to collaborate on the design of curriculum for an Arts and Communications Academy will begin welcoming students into the program in September 2008.
For more information on the Annual Meeting, contact Yvette Hanzel, Director of Marketing & External Affairs at (216) 521-2540 extension 225 or yvette@beckcenter.org.
Director of Dance Lynda Sackett to retire after
more than 40 years
Beck Center establishes the Lynda Sackett Endowment for Dance Education
After more than 40 years of service at Beck Center, Director of Dance Lynda Sackett will retire on August 31, 2007. A reception honoring her will be held on Friday, November 2. A new dance director will be announced soon.
Sackett established the Dance Education program at Beck Center in the mid-1970s. Under her direction, the program has developed and expanded to now include over 50 dance classes each semester including ballet, pointe, hip hop, jazz, tap, and others for students of all ages and abilities. “Lynda had the insight and vision to create a Dance program at Beck Center more than 30 years ago” said Edward P. Gallagher, Beck’s Director of Education and Creative Arts Therapies. “She has been instrumental in developing this program to what it is today. We can never express our tremendous gratitude for her leadership and loyalty to Beck Center.”
Sackett has received many notable awards over the years including more recently the 2003 Award for Distinguished Contribution to Arts Education for Northeast Ohio by the Ohio Arts Education Association and the 2000 Ohio Dance Award for Advancement of Dance Education from the Ohio Dance Association.
In recognition of her many years of service and dedication, Beck Center is pleased to announce the establishment of the Lynda Sackett Endowment for Dance Education. This endowment has been initiated with start-up funds donated by a former student. Contributions to the Lynda Sackett Endowment for Dance Education may be directed to the Beck Center Development Office. A celebratory performance and reception is planned for Friday, November 2 at 8:00 p.m. on the Mackey Main Stage to honor Sackett for her years of service.
The Beck Center for the Arts Appoints Sally Weakley as Director of Development
The Beck Center for the Arts announced today the appointment of Sally Weakley as its new Director of Development beginning May 15, 2007.
Weakley comes to the Beck Center from University Hospitals (UH). Over the past two and a half years in Institutional Relations and Development at UH, she has managed their prospect management and research area and expanded their Annual Fund program. Prior to UH, Weakley worked in development and prospect research areas for the Cleveland Clinic and was involved with the management of their capital campaign in the late 1990s. “With nearly fifteen years of good fundraising experience in the Greater Cleveland community, Sally Weakley is a valuable addition to the Beck Center management team,” said Lucinda Einhouse, President and C.E.O. of Beck Center.
As Beck Center’s Director of Development, Weakley will be responsible for planning and managing all activities of the Development Department to increase private philanthropic and public support of the Beck Center.
For more information, contact Yvette Hanzel at (216) 521-2540, extension 225.
Beck Center’s Director of Education
Edward P. Gallagher, MT-BC
Receives Music Therapy Award
The Beck Center for the Arts is proud to announce that Director of Education and Creative Arts Therapies, Edward P. Gallagher received the 2007 Service Award from the Great Lakes Region of the American Music Therapy Association (GLR-AMTA). The award was presented to Gallagher at the region’s 54th annual conference in Cleveland on March 24, 2007. The region includes the states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
Gallagher, a Board Certified Music Therapist, is a graduate of Cleveland State University and The Cleveland Music Therapy Consortium, where he earned a Bachelor’s of Music degree in Music Therapy. Gallagher was honored with the GLR-AMTA Service Award for his many years of involvement in state, regional and national music therapy associations. He currently serves as president of the Great Lakes Region of the AMTA. Gallagher has held over 23 positions since 1991 including President of the Association of Ohio Music Therapists, Continuing Education Chairperson for the Great Lakes Region of AMTA and Continuing Education Co-Chairperson of the AMTA. He has also serves on committees of the Cuyahoga County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (CCBMRDD) and VSA arts of Ohio/Cleveland Area Service Division.
Gallagher founded the Beck Center’s Department of Creative Arts Therapies (CAT) in 1994, creating the first community-based program of its kind in Ohio. The CAT program uses art and music therapy to assist individuals with special needs – including physical, mental or developmental disabilities – to maximize their potential. In addition to his administrative work at the Beck Center, he frequently works musically with young children including Toddler Rock sessions at the Cleveland Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The Beck Center for the Arts is one of the area’s largest cultural and performing arts organizations and the only institution of its kind on Cleveland’s Westside. Programming includes professional theater productions on two stages, arts education classes in dance, music, theater, and visual arts for all ages and abilities, and art galleries exhibiting works of local and regional artists. The Beck Center is located at 17801 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood, just ten minutes west of downtown Cleveland. For more information about the Creative Arts Therapies program or other programming at the Beck Center, please call (216) 521-2540 or online at www.beckcenter.org.
Beck Center is proud to announce New President and Chief Executive Officer Lucinda B. Einhouse
The
Beck Center for the Arts announced today the appointment of board member Lucinda
B. (Cindy) Einhouse as its new President and Chief Executive Officer. This
appointment follows a nationwide search by a Board-appointed committee led
by Chairman Frederick B. Unger. Einhouse will begin on May 1, 2007 and will
continue to serve as a member of the Board of Directors of the Beck Center
and, as President and CEO, will become an officer of the Board.
Einhouse comes to the Beck with an educational background in music and theater, more than a decade of senior management expertise, and over 25 years of experience in fund raising including training, organizing and motivating high-level community and business leaders as fund raising volunteers.
Over the past five and a half years, as Director of Development at the Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM), she managed a campaign that raised over $40 million for the Institute’s expansion project, and approximately $1.8 million annually for endowment, annual fund and other special projects. Prior to CIM, Einhouse was Regional Development Director for the Department of Institutional Advancement at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and worked nearly 15 years with Playhouse Square Foundation.
“I have been a resident of Lakewood my entire adult life, and throughout that time have been aware of and appreciated the Beck Center,” said Einhouse. “I was thrilled to hear that Beck is committed to staying in this community, and that’s part of why I want to be involved.” One of the reasons for the Beck’s decision to remain in Lakewood is the collaborative arts education initiative with Lakewood City Schools, which includes the creation of an Arts and Communications Academy that will serve students in Lakewood, Bay Village, Rocky River, and Westlake school districts. “This collaboration is an exciting opportunity for the Beck Center and a wonderful asset for the West Shore,” exclaimed Einhouse.
“We are very fortunate to have recruited someone with such extensive management experience and broad knowledge of and involvement in the community,” said Unger. “In Cindy Einhouse we have found a person whose abilities, infectious passion for arts education and performance, and commitment to quality programming make her uniquely qualified to provide the leadership needed to achieve the organization’s goals.”
Born and raised in Cleveland, Einhouse graduated magna cum laude from Kent State University with a B.A. in Music. She holds a master’s degree from Cleveland State University with a concentration in management. Einhouse and her husband, Tom, live in Lakewood with their two boys, Ben and Tim, who have taken music and art classes at the Beck for many years.
Unger noted, “Einhouse is joining a strong management team that includes James R. Walton, newly appointed Vice President and Chief Financial and Operations Officer, Edward P. Gallagher, Director of Education and Creative Arts Therapies, and award winning and 16-year veteran Artistic Director, Scott Spence. We now have the management talent that, under Cindy’s leadership, is needed for the Beck Center to thrive as one of Cleveland’s major arts organizations.”
Beck Center Featured Each Month At Westfield Great Northern Kids Club
Don’t
miss this fabulous opportunity to access the arts for free right in your own
backyard! Join us each month for Kids Club at Westfield Great Northern Mall.
Kids Club is held from 10:00 to 10:30 a.m. on the first Thursday of each month
in the Playtown area of Westfield Great Northern Mall. The Beck Center provides
free entertainment and activities featuring the talents of our Kids-n-Tunes,
Kids-n-Art and Kids-n-Theater instructors. Registration is free and open to
children of all ages. To register, visit Westfield Great Northern during a
Kids Club event or stop by the Shopping Concierge Center.
For more information on the Beck Center at Westfield Kids Club, contact Tara J. Griest, MT-BC, Associate Director of Creative Arts Therapies at 216-228-8499 or at tgriest@beckcenter.org. Visit the Kids Club on the Westfield Great Northern Mall site.
Beck Center Artistic
Director Scott Spence Receives the
2006 Northern Ohio Live Award of Achievement in Theater
Under the fearless and inspired leadership of Artistic Director Scott Spence, the Beck Center for the Arts completed one of the most exciting local theater seasons in recent memory. Spence mounted nine fully-staged productions on a shoestring budget, selecting scripts that made us laugh, cry and think. And he found first-rate artists, most of them from our local talent pool, to bring those works to life.
As Spence begins his 17th year in the driver’s seat, we celebrate his vivid imagination – and gladly take a ride to see where he’s headed next.
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| Left to right: Martin Cespedes, Scott Spence and Larry Goodpaster |
Left to right: |
What began 75 years ago as Lakewood Little Theatre, the Beck Center for the Arts, the most comprehensive non-profit arts and arts education center serving Greater Cleveland, announced its plans today to continue to call Lakewood home.
At a 2005 planning retreat, the Board of Directors, recognizing Beck’s aging inefficient facilities, decided to redevelop the arts education and entertainment center in a unique well-suited location. For more than a year, a group of Board members have been exploring issues related to what it will take to accomplish this; including selection of an ideal location, raising the funds that will be needed, and design of the facilities to serve the community’s western suburbs well into the future.
In
committing to redevelop its facilities in Lakewood, the Board’s decision
was based on a number of factors critical to the future of the Beck Center:
The Board recognizes that it may be necessary to establish satellite locations in order to adequately serve arts education and performance audiences throughout these West Shore communities. Planning for additional sites will continue as part of the Beck Center’s strategic planning process.
“We
are committed to working with the Board and staff of Beck Center to develop
a new arts center in Lakewood that is one of the finest in the country.”
says Mayor Thomas George. “We will do everything we can to help find
the funding that is needed.”
“The district and its board members are very excited about this education partnership.” notes Dr. David Estrop, Superintendent of the Lakewood City Schools. “By working together we plan to build on the strength of the high quality programs each of us offers to provide greater opportunities for students and their families.”
“Our
Board is committed to strengthening the Beck Center through this collaborative
partnership.” says Board Chairman, Frederick Unger. “We look forward
to working closely with the City of Lakewood, the Lakewood City School District
and Cox Communications in developing the facilities and programs that will
be critical to fulfilling our mission of educating and entertaining Greater
Clevelanders well into the next 75 years.”
A community forum will be scheduled to brief residents on Beck’s strategic planning process, as well as to update them on the creation of a concept for an arts district in Lakewood.
Presented by Lakewood Public Library